Moments
by xrandomgrrl23x
Summary: The PRE-story of Sirius Black's one and only love, and the girl who was the lynchpin in James and Lily's relationship. The girl that got away. Sirius&OC, Jily. Bangcroft & Black Stories.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note at the end! Please read!**

**Warning: This story, at some point, will contain swear words. Don't read if you don't like it.**

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****_Moment 1: Prologue_

_Harry Meets Amelia_

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It was a warm day, and Harry had just returned home at his job at the Ministry in time for dinner. The kids were still not back yet from their last term at Hogwarts, though he knew they would return any day now. He almost missed the ruckus that they caused, but he was looking forward to a quiet dinner tonight. Tonight was a night he was glad it was quiet, so he could be alone with his thoughts. Tonight was special—tonight was the anniversary of Sirius Black's death.

Harry had loved his parents, and every year he felt a pang when he walked by their grave in Godric's Hallow, where he and his young wife had moved, on the day of their death. But he had only really known them for a year of his life, despite their lasting effects on it, and he really couldn't remember it that well—not to blame him, it is quite hard to remember things when you're not even a year old. But Sirius Black, his godfather, Harry had known him for three years of his life, years he still remembered well, and despite the fact that Sirius had been, at the time, running from Dementors and the like (as he had been wrongly accused of killing several people) Harry had always thought of him as an important mentor in his life. So tonight, on the anniversary of his death, Harry often was overwhelmed with thoughts of how many things he wished Sirius had been alive for—his wedding, the birth of his children, the first time he had ever sent a child off to Hogwarts. So he liked it quiet.

"Ginny? I'm home," he called as he entered the small house.

"Ah, yes! I'll be right down for dinner, dear, I just have make sure the laundry's done," yelled Ginny, his wife, as she came down the stairs. "It's in the oven if you want to start setting the table, and—" she continued to yell some other inane things, mostly about potholders and flying charms, and what her mother had written to her today, despite the fact that she was in the same room as Harry himself.

"Dear? Dear!" Harry interrupted, grasping his wife's shoulder. "I'm right here, no need to shout. I'll go set the table."

"Oh, right. Yes, thank you," Ginny said vaguely, flipping through some books and posts while simultaneously waving her wand at a pile of laundry that had flown down the stairs with her. Harry shook his head, smiling a bit. He often theorized that his wife's upbringing in a house several stories tall, used to house two parents, seven siblings, and one poltergeist had had residual effects on her. He often thought that she forgot their home in Godric's Hallow wasn't nearly as tall or as crowded as the Burrow was, and so acted as though they were there. It was cute, though sometimes it did hurt his ears.

Harry went into the kitchen with this thought putting a smile on his face and began to set the table for dinner, and a few minutes later, both he and his wife had sat to eat and tell each other about their day. After Ginny had retired from the Harpies, her stories had become all the more interesting, as now she received dirt on every Quidditch team in the world, along with the scandals of the office. Usually, Harry enjoyed listening to his wife talk about her day, if only to see how happy it made her, but tonight he just couldn't concentrate. The loss of Sirius was haunting him badly.

"Oh, Harry, I forgot to tell you, you got a package in the post today," Ginny said as she got up to put the dishes in the sink. With a flick of her wand, the dishes began to clean themselves as Ginny moved to the pile of letters on the counter. Harry had a strong sense of the growing resemblance of his wife to her mother, though he couldn't say he disliked it. He loved Molly, who was one of the most kind-hearted and warm people he had ever met. He just lamented his poor ears.

"From a 'Zephyra Anne Boot (previously Cameron)'. Wasn't there a Boot in your year?" she said, holding out the letter and small square package to him.

"Yeah," Harry said, taking it, "He was a Ravenclaw, I think. I wonder if this girl's related?"

Ginny tapped her chin with her finger. "'Zephyra Anne Cameron'…Zephyra Cameron…I feel as though I know that name, but I can't for the life of me remember why!"

Harry was opening the letter when his wife cried out, making him jump about a foot. For the safety of his ears, he thought, he really should look into some muffling techniques.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Now I remember! She was in my year at Hogwarts! Got sorted into Slytherin, so I never put too much stock in her, but I remember her being nicer than the whole lot of the rest of them put together. And I was her partner once in my Charms class! Ah, now I remember what was so different about her—she went to a Muggle primary school!"

"Really?" asked Harry, surprised. Not many wizards went to school, and certainly not many Slytherins.

"Yes! Got made fun of for it her whole time, now I remember, but she'd stick up for her house members if she thought they'd got the wrong end of it! And, oh yes! She was a Bangcroft!"

"A who?"

"Oh, forty years and you still have so much to learn," Ginny said, smiling at him sweetly. "A Bangcroft. They're a wizarding family, and they ship brooms. Started developing a few, too, some years back. The girl who invented the Firebolt? A Bangcroft."

"Really?" Harry stared at the letter in astonishment. "Well, I wonder what this is about?" He carefully slid the letter out of its envelope, then began to quickly read. After only a few seconds, Harry sucked in a breath and stated, "I think I'll read this in the study."

His wife, who was already preoccupied with yelling at the dishes because, apparently, they hadn't cleaned themselves well enough, gave a dismissive 'alright' as Harry quickly made his exit.

When Harry arrived in his study, he quickly locked the door and turned on the light behind his favorite leather chair before taking a seat and reexamining the letter, his eyes drawn to the one phrase that had him, tonight of all nights, positively shaking with anticipation. 'Sirius Black'.

_Dear Mr. Harry Potter,_

_Hello, Mr. Potter, my name is Zephyra Boot (nee Cameron). I was a year behind you at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (I do remember being in a Charms class with one Ginny Weasley, so maybe she could tell you of me—and I was also good friends with Luna Lovegood, we visited the Thestrals together sometimes), but I am writing you at a request from my dear mother, now deceased._

_My mother attended school with your parents, you see, and all their friends, including one Sirius Black. When she died, she gave me a journal from her time at Hogwarts and asked that it was sent to you, as she knows you are the last living person Sirius would ever consider family, and no one but family was allowed to see it. She said she hoped that it would bring closer to both Sirius and your parents._

_I have enclosed the journal, which still has a small enchantment from my mother's days at Hogwarts (she was a particularly good enchantress) to keep people from reading it. You must write the password (enclosed) along with your name before you are allowed to read it. Fair warning, it is quite an absorbing story._

_ With best Wishes,_

_ Zephrya Anne Boot,_

_ Chief Broomcarver, amateur Wandmaker, C.E.O. of Bangcroft's Brooms Shipping and Supply_

Harry eagerly picked up the simple, brown, paper wrapped package and tore into it, barely noticing the small piece of paper that fluttered to the ground, which had written on it, _Snicker-Snack!_ Harry assumed this was the password. With a flick of his wand, a fountain pen (which he found he preferred much more than quills, which needed to be constantly sharpened) and a bottle of ink flew towards him to rest on the arm of the chair. Uncapping the ink, he delicately dipped his pen in, then began scratching '_Snicker-Snack!_' and below that, '_Harry Potter_' in his signature chicken script. The words faded into the page, and new words appeared below them in a tight, neat, whippy script that reminded Harry of the letter (in handwriting), as well as the dairy of Tom Riddle (in the sudden appearance of words). He saw,

_Hello Harry. My name is Amelia Selene Bangcroft. Let me tell you about one Sirius Black…_

And with that, Harry was sucked into the world of Hogwarts, 1970, when his parents and his godfather, Sirius Black, attended school with one Amelia Selene Bangcroft.

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**Author's Note**: OMG, new stuff! I started this project awhile ago, and could never figure out how I wanted to format it, or where I wanted it to go, so...Now it's going! The beginning is mostly going to be divided up into 'Moments', like this one, since obviously I do not want to write seven books covering seven years of single moments. I think it would be incredibly boring to read through-plus, my ending's going to develop over time, from the first moment in Diagon Alley, to the moment Sirius and James join the Order of the Pheonix. Years will pass between moments, so be prepared. But I'll try not to leave anything out.

Over the next few days, I'll publish moments (one for every day) that begin the story. If you read the little preview that came out a few months ago (like many months ago), then that will be mostly what I'm talking about-though those were edited, so now you'll get the moment in its entirety.

Well, that's all for now, I think! Don't be afraid to comment! Bye-

Oh wait!

I still have no concrete title for this story-so any title suggestions in the days to come? Please and thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: At some point, there will be swears (although I don't think in this chapter...)**

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_Moment 2:_

_The Sorting Silence_

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Amelia first met the Black family when she was shopping for Hogwarts supplies at Diagon Ally. She accidently bumped into Bellatrix Lestrange and Regulus Black and knocked the small black notebook in Bellatrix's hands onto the ground. Bellatrix, having been dragged to this milestone of her black sheep cousin, Sirius, whom she really didn't like all that much, was not in a good mood. So when Amelia Bangcroft knocked her precious notebook out of her hand, Bellatrix decided that now was as good a time as ever to begin her first full-on fit of the day, not including the slightly smaller one she had had earlier that morning when her mother insisted on the trip in the first place.

As Bellatrix ranted and raved at her, accompanied some of the time by Regulus, Amelia decided that she did not like the Lestranges, the Blacks, or any other extended family she may run into. She silently took the rant, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow once Bellatrix ran out of steam—it was of no use yelling at a person if they didn't cower or yell back.

"Are you done?" Amelia asked, annoyed. Bellatrix only stared at her, and Amelia pushed past her into the crush of people in Diagon Alley. Every time Amelia saw Bellatrix or Regulus after that, she made sure to shoot them the glare they deserved. So it was with this attitude in general that Amelia first came into contact with one Sirius Black at the Sorting Ceremony in her first year at Hogwarts. Being a Bangcroft, and Sirius being a Black, they were standing next to each other in alphabetical order. So Amelia had plenty of opportunities to send laser-point glares his way, and she took quite a few of them. When Amelia's name was called at the beginning of the list, she shot one last glare his way, then made her way to the Sorting Hat.

Sirius once asked her, later on, what that whole night she had been thinking in that head of hers.

"Well, at first I thought you couldn't be any better than your cousins, so I was determined to let you know I didn't like you," she said.

"Oh, you did." Sirius had often wondered what the Bangcroft girl had against him that night.

"Right. But then, when my name was called, I could only think of this funny little rhyme my mum taught me. She sang it before I left on the train, you know.

_"A Bangcroft girl in Hufflepuff_

_Is loyal, kind and true,_

_And shares her gifts throughout her life_

_With every little coo,_

_But if you're right for Ravenclaw,_

_Don't worry your little head_

_For Ravenclaws have clever smarts,_

_And won't ever lose their beds._

_A Bangcroft girl in Gryffindor_

_Is the bravest of them all,_

_But must beware her reckless side_

_Which could always lead to fall._

_But if your home is Slytherin_

_Then congratulations to you!_

_You must be all above,_

_And cunning, quick, and true!"_

Indeed, that was what Amelia was thinking of as the Sorting Hat was placed on her head.

"Oh, so you're a Bangcroft girl," said the little voice in her ear. "And what house would you like to be in? Hufflepuff? No, no, too clever for that. Perhaps Ravenclaw? Ah, but that doesn't really have the adventure you want, does it? Then maybe Gryffindor? Oh, but you want a challenge, don't you? You want to be remembered." Amelia snorted, just a little. A Bangcroft was always remembered. "Oh, yes. I know the perfect place for you—SLYTHERIN!" the Hat shouted across the hall. Most of the Slytherin table broke out into applause and cheers, Amelia was their second acquisition, after a Thomas Addlefee, which most were still unsure about. But a Bangcroft in Slytherin meant change, and some of the older families at the table knew it. Amelia certainly did.

"Black, Sirius," was called, and the Slytherins at the table shifted in their seats to view their new student. Blacks were always in Slytherin, which was good, since they needed someone to keep the Bangcroft in line.

Which is perhaps why when the Hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR", most of the students sat, stunned, as Sirius Black made his way over to the Gryffindor table. No Black in living history had ever been at that table. Amelia remembered that night, and the two back-to-back silences, for many years to come.

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**A/N: **I've made an executive decision! Oh...boy...

Since the idea of a story made up of moments for its entirety doesn't sit well with me (cause these moments are mostly less than 1000 words-usually less than 700) THIS story (which I know I've been working on awhile) will be a prelude to a DIFFERENT story-this will be the moments that make up the exposition that would usually take place. I haven't figured out how long it will be-how many minichapters (cause that's what they basically are) it will contain-but I have about seven moments written or in the process of being written right now. I'll then move on to a different story (and change the summary of this one) that goes into more detail, and is full blown.

OK, so that's it for now!

**Please comment! Titles! What are you thinking? Can you guess the next moment? Any suggestions for moments you want to see? :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: Here there be Magic**!

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_Moment 3:_

_Meeting Banging Bangcroft_

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Amelia spent her first year at Hogwarts doing well in all her classes, making her a crowd favorite among the teachers, and sticking up for her fellow first years and fellow Slytherins whenever someone decided they were easy targets. In no time, she was known throughout the school for having a nasty temper when it came to bullies, and most found that once someone crossed Amelia Bangcroft, they were sure to be paid back in full, often at the least convenient times. Amelia had a knack for that, and a knack for bewitching things to explode. Her nickname was soon Banging Bangcroft, and she lived up to it.

In her third year, Amelia again encountered Sirius Black, this time in her Care of Magical Creatures class. Black and his friends had decided to pick on poor Severus Snape, a thin, wastrel of a boy who had an unfortunately long nose and penchant for brewing potions, which left his hair continuously greasy. The boys, who, upon meeting each other, became instant friends, liked to call Severus names and cast floating spells on him and his things, lifting him up high in the air and laughing as he flailed about. Today, the boys, up to their usual antics, had thought it a good idea to float Severus' book for class just above his head before the class started. Usually, their regular objector to this (other than Severus himself, who gave several pleas of "C'mon guys!" and "Let it down, I need it for class!") was Lily Evans, who often just had to give James Potter a certain look before he bent to her will and general prettiness, but Lily had not chosen to take Care of Magical Creatures, so she was no where around. But Amelia was.

_"Mimble Wimble_," she said, pointing her wand at James, who had cast the spell on Snape's book. Potter immediately dropped the book and clutched at his face. Snape caught it from midair and held it triumphantly as he scurried behind Amelia.

"Really, Bangcroft?" called Remus Lupin, another member of the horrid gang. "A first-year spell?"

"It worked, didn't it?" Amelia shot back. "And I'm sure that was just a simple Floating Spell, am I right, Potter?" she spat. Potter gurgled in response—he was still tongue-tied. Amelia flicked her wand and muttered the countercurse.

"Next time, pick on someone with as many friends as you, Potter," she called. "See how well you do." She turned and ushered Snape away with her, asking if he was okay. But Potter, who didn't like being shown up, especially by a girl, pointed his wand at her and began to yell.

"_EXPELLI—"_

Quick as a flash, Amelia had turned around whipped out her wand again. _"Homenum Revelio!_" she cried, blocking Potter's curse before he had even finished yelling it. It was at that moment that their teacher chose to return to them.

"What is going on here?" Grubblyplank looked none too happy about the state of things.

"Professor, Potter and his friends where torturing Severus again," Amelia stated. "I merely stepped in to stop them, and they turned on me." Grubblyplank cast a glance from Amelia to the boys behind her.

"Is this true?" she asked critically.

"Professor, of course not!" said James flippantly, shrugging and coming forward. "We were just roughhousing, you know. Nothing serious." Grubblyplank continued eying Amelia and James before answering.

"And what say you, Mr. Snape?"

Snape started, looking as though for all the world he would rather be in a dragon's mouth at that exact moment, shrugged, and silently stared at his feet. Grubblyplank waited a moment more before returning to the task at hand.

"Right. Well, since it seems that Mr. Snape does not feel he's been bullied, and you have been the one casting spells, Ms. Bangcroft, I will have to give you detention." Amelia's mouth tightened and her arms crossed. As Grubblyplank walked away, she couldn't help turning to Snape and giving him a silent, searing stare, then turning back to class.

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**A/N:** Ok, so that's moment number three done! woot! I had a suggestion for a title: Teenage Dream, as in Katy Perry, which is a good start! More titles? YES PLEASE, I WANT THEM ALLLLLLL! Did you know you can comment without logging in, or having an account (I didn't when I first found , so...Also, A/N stands for Author's Notes)? DO IT. (I'm not the hugest fan of Katy Perry, so...it's definitely in the running, and it's totally helping me think and brainstorm.)

Plus, any suggestions for moments you want to see? ;)

And check out my deviantart page ( .com) for a look at how I see Amelia, Lily, James, Sirius, and the other Marauders! Unfortunately, my computer died awhile back, so the painting programs I had on it are...no longer there, and I have no idea where I put the disks, so it may be awhile before I post something on there. Plus, I pretty much leave my tablet at home when I'm away at school, so...yup. sorry? Also have original work there, as well.

Plus, please read my profile page for any update schedules, reasons _why_ I'm updating or not, and also reading suggestions! BECAUSE READING IS SEXY, DAMMIT.

Any way... COMMENT, TITLES, ETC., AS ALWAYS. BYE. :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning: I don't remember...**

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_Moment 4:_

_I Dare You_

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That was when Amelia's involvement in Sirius Black's life took a turn for the worst. It was Saturday that Grubblyplank assigned Amelia detention, making her clean the Grindylow tanks. Amelia did not particularly enjoy the Grindylows, so the task was doubly disgusting. And, apparently, Sirius Black couldn't keep himself out of trouble, and was also assigned the same, stomach-turning task. Amelia decided to studiously ignore Black, and formulate her retaliation plan at the same time. Valuable information, requiring observation, could be obtained. And Sirius Black, for all his odiousness, was quite good looking. Damn him.

So Amelia put on her headphones—a device which in the Muggle world would function perfectly, and which she had spelled to play whatever music she was in the mood for in the Wizarding world (Amelia was a particularly good enchantress, and had received exceptionally high marks in Charms and Transfiguration) and tried to ignore Sirius Black.

He made it difficult.

"You have headphones?" he asked, coming over to where she was working. "But there's no record player here. I've been dying to get my hands on something to listen to my tunes with!"

She ignored him. He tapped her on her shoulder.

"Hey. Hey! What're you even listening—" he pulled the headphones off and tried holding them to his ear. His face transformed into one of utter glee. "The Beatles? Alright! So you do have good taste!" The expression on his face shut down. "For a Slytherin."

That was it for Amelia. She snatched back the headphones and said, "For your information, these are my personal property, and I don't lend them out to bullies. Or hypocrites." She placed the headphones once more on her head, and proceeded to scrub the tank overly fiercely.

"What makes me a bully? Just cause I try to teach some nerd a lesson or two? And a hypocrite for that matter?"

Amelia sighed and gave up on her original hope of subliminally observing Black, and turned toward him full on.

"Exactly that attitude, Black," she snarled, pulling the headphones down around her neck. "People are people, not just nerds or dorks. You can't judge them by the way they look or what music they listen to. Look at you. If people judged you by your last name, you would be in Slytherin house, doing the same thing your good-for-nothing cousin does—making life horrid for the rest of us. But you're not, are you? So stop judging other people the same way." She was right up in his face now. His shock and surprise registered with her, and she sighed with annoyance. "You know what, screw this." She pulled out her wand, a larch wand, 10 inches, unicorn core, and tapped smartly on the tank. _"Scourgify_!"

"You'll get in trouble for that," Black said as Amelia gathered up her things. She shrugged.

"Report me, I dare you," she said, hoisting her bag on her shoulder. "I don't think you have the guts." With that, she sauntered out, head held high. That was when Black started to take a notice in her.

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**A/N: **I'm sorry it's late today! I was traveling, so...yup. Read and Review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning: Unedited...? Bad grammar potential...**?** Oh no, wait! There are actually swears in this one! Phew, I didn't know what to do with myself...**

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_Moment 5:_

_Quidditch_

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Amelia had decided by then that she wanted to try and add some good to Slytherin House, and she would start with what she knew best how to do: Quidditch. Being the daughter of the only broom supply company in Great Britain had its advantages, and she had taken every one of them. When she tried out for her team in her third year, she was immediately made Chaser and, later in the year, due to an unfortunate infringement on the rules and subsequent expulsion by the previous Captain, she took on that leadership role as well. She had seen the Slytherin team play many times in her two years, and she was fed up with the obvious flouting of the rules, dirty plays, and subsequent injuries, on both her own team and their opponents. So Amelia vowed to make sure that when she was captain, Slytherin would play a clean game, or suffer the consequences. The members on the team like Avery and Bellatrix quickly learned what Amelia was about, and, not trying to make any enemies with such an influential, if not totally pure, family, adjusted their game accordingly. Which was just what she wanted.

Of course, Siruis Black was on the opposing Gryffindor team, along with his best mate James Potter. Both of whom still ground Amelia's nerves. But she put up with them, to the best of her ability, when it came to Quidditch, because it was the only way. Plus, if she didn't put up with them, how could she expect her team to? But it still gave her a sick sense of satisfaction when she saw both of their mouths drop open the first time they saw her walk up to shake the Gryffindor captain's hand, a lowly third year, _their _year. She had favored them with a smile as she sauntered up, and took the captain's hand graciously. Potter had been on the team as Seeker since first year, and she knew he was good. But this was Black's first year on the team (recruited, of course, by Potter), and this was the first game of the year. So she wasn't sure what to expect from the new Chaser, but she had to guess he was good. No one would be allowed on the Gryffindor team if they weren't. It would be interesting to see how good he really was.

As the teams separated to huddle and form opening plans, Sirius couldn't contain his amazement. "Shit, mate! Did you see Bangcroft? Our year and already captain!"

"Probably bribed her way to it, no way she's good enough. Never even seen her ride a broom, 'cept for flying class first year. If she was a real player she'd be out every week, like the rest of us."

"What you think she bribed 'em with?"

James looked at him like he was crazy. "Brooms, o'course! Her family owns the largest broom supply company there is! Haven't you noticed, all of Slytherin's brooms are new!"

"So she definitely paid them off?"

"To get to captain, probably….but to get on the team's another story."

"What d'ya mean?"

Potter chewed his lower lip, thoughtfully watching the other team as they huddled together. "Slytherin wouldn't just put a player on the team if they couldn't at least fly well," he said slowly. "Not for a game with us. They want to win, too."

Sirius followed his mate's gaze and considered that. It sounded about right; Sirius didn't spend much time in the Wizarding World—when he was around his parents, he spent as much time with Muggle things as possible to annoy his parents as much as possible—so he wasn't as well versed in everything as Potter was.

"So what does that mean?" he asked.

James favored him with a real serious expression, one that was very rare on his friend's face. "It means you'd better damn well score, and I'd better damn well catch the Snitch so we win."

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**A/N:** Yup. yup. Anyway...potential moments? suggestions? I have in mind where I'm going to end/what I'm going to do with this little pre-story, but any suggestions?

Titles, still. Read and Review. Have fun with work/school (I'm not going back for another two weeks :P)


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning: A Damned Sexy Sirius**?

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_Moment 6:_

_Unfinished Business_

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The first Quidditch game of Slytherin versus Gryffindor that year was not won by Gryffindor, a fact that got on Potter's nerves in no small part. It turned out Amelia was actually a very good captain. What got on his nerves more, Sirius noticed, was that Slytherin had not had a single foul or penalty—and that there was not one instance when they could've. Everyone they talked to said it was because of Bangcroft; she was an exceedingly good captain, and was wickedly determined to keep the Slytherin team in line, even at the cost of loosing the players with the most scores under their belts. When they learned that, Potter admitted a grudging respect to the girl. He by no means liked her, but he simply couldn't deny that she was damned good at Quidditch.

His best friend's assertion that Bangcroft deserved some respect gave Sirius pause. They were in a lot of classes together, and until now he had never even deigned to acknowledge her presence. But now he did.

Now he noticed how, more often than not, she had the right answer and never cheated. How she put particular care in the magical potions she concocted, along with how good she was at Transfiguration. Her Charms were also incredibly strong, and she was wonderful at keeping the dangerous magical creatures Kettleburn threw at them (when he wasn't on probation for injury) from flaring up. She was also friends with people from about every different houses, including Gryffindor; in fact, her friend (seeminly best friend), Lily Evans, was the subject of _his _best friend's fixation and _huge _crush. Strange for a Slytherin.

He noticed other things, too. Like the way she sprawled into any place she sat, never prim and proper like her friend, Lily. Like the way she was never completely in uniform. Her shirt untucked, jeans under her skirt, buttons only half done over a band shirt. Always a belt-pouch, a bewitched chain holding her wand to it so that only she could take it off, he learned, and always a pair of head-phones. He noticed the way her hair fell over her shoulder and framed her face, the way it could be completely straight or totally tangled and curled. The way she liked to wear a band around her forehead to hold all but two short front pieces back. The way her green eyes sparkled and her lips turned up. It was all very disturbing.

Amelia, for her part, had already consented that Black was good looking. Damned sexy, if she was going to be completely honest and get right down to it. (Though she would never do that in the presence of anyone except Lily, who was, in fact, her best friend.) And, unfortunately, not a horrible person, despite his hypocrisy. He was loyal, smart (though he didn't show it in class—but she knew he got good grades on tests), a good flyer. It was very annoying, but it was true. But she had never truly paid Sirius or his friends back for that beginning detention—and it was almost the end of third year. And so she created a plan.

* * *

**A/N:** Moving to a new either once or twice weekly schedule. I still haven't decided... hmmmm...

Either tuesdays and thursdays, probably, or just one of the two...

I know this chapter is short...sorry...merp...all moments are short, so it doesn't seem much of a change. I'm running out of moment ideas, though, so once this is finished I'll move on. To the REAL DEAL (ooooooooooooooo).

Yup. Have a nice day! REad and Review, and think of some titles, my lovlies (was that creepy? Meh.)


	7. Chapter 7

**Warning: Um...bullying? But no swears. I think...**

* * *

_Moment 7:_

_A New Friend _

* * *

Lily and Amelia had met at the beginning of third year, after that fateful detention. Amelia was angrily storming through the castle, thinking evil thoughts about one Sirius Black and what she would do to him, when Lily literally rammed into her, dropping all of her books in the process. And Lily Evans had a copious amount of books. Amelia had stooped to help her as Lily apologized profusely. Evans was on her hands and knees, usually perfectly neat outfit disturbingly ruffled, as she hastily snatched up her books, trying to fit them in her woefully inadequate bag, and casting harried glances over her shoulder.

Amelia, being not a total idiot, and in fact quite smart, noticed. "What're you looking for?"

Evans gave her a measure look. "Not a what. _Who_."

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Who?"

Lily cast a glance behind her as someone entered the corridor at the other end, and paled. Amelia looked up too, and instantly understood.

Standing at the end of the hall was Bellatrix Lestrange and Regulus Black, along with several members of their gang. Amelia had no doubt that these were the people Lily was running from. Her mouth tightened; she had never liked the Lestranges or the Blacks, and absolutely none of their gang. She had to deal with them almost every day with Quidditch, and despite their prowess at the game, they definitely left a bad taste in her mouth. Slowly she rose, hand hovering over the chain from which her wand hung, bewitched to only come off to her hand.

"Bellatrix," she said quietly.

She smiled, lips curling in a remarkable imitation of a cat. An evil, crazy cat. "Amelia," she drawled. "How are you, my dear?"

"Fine," Amelia replied in measured voice.

"Really?" she cocked her head. "Regulus told me that you had a Saturday detention. With his brother."

Amelia drew herself up. "I did."

"Ohh," Bellatrix pouted, pursing her lips. "Poor darling." She turned her attention to Lily, behind Amelia and still desperately trying to put her books together. "Lily, dear! Regulus has something to ask you." The gang behind her snickered as Bellatrix pushed her cousin forward. "Go on Regulus."

The lanky teen, shorter than his younger brother, but still a good amount of handsome, to Amelia's chagrin, approached Lily. He ignored Amelia as he passed her and lorded over the still kneeling girl.

"Lily," he cooed, kneeling down beside her. The girl looked absolutely terrified. "Darling," he reached out a hand stroking her cheek, as she flinched physically away from him. "Would you do me the favor of…" Lily's eyes widened with fear, "getting out of my face, you filthy Mudblood!" he exclaimed, pushing her away. The gang burst out hysterically laughing, Bellatrix bent double.

"I can't believe you did it! I can't believe you touched it!" she screeched, tears forming in her eyes. Regulus was laughing, too.

"Does anyone know a good cleaning spell? I need to get its stench off!"

"I do!" called Amelia as Regulus passed her, grasping her wand and, with a tug, disengaging it so that it was pointed at Black. "_Scourgify!"_ Regulus flew back and opened his mouth, out of which flowed copious amounts of bubbles and soap.

"Shit, bitch!" he gurgled. With that they were gone, off done the hall.

Amelia turned to Lily, concern coloring her face.

"Are you alright?" Amelia asked quietly, kneeling beside Lily. Lily looked at her, eyes shiny with unsaid tears.

"Yeah. Happens all the time."

Amelia frowned. "Idiots." She helped Lily stand and get a hand on her books. "I never liked them. Perhaps I'll have some words with the members of their gang next practice." Lily smiled. Amelia took hold of some of her books and her arm. "So, can you tell me the secrets of that potion we made last week in class? Mine didn't come out quite right, and I just can't seem to figure out why. It's absolutely driving me bonkers…"

And off they went down the hall. Lily soon became Amelia's closest friend, the one person she could tell anything to. And it was a friendship that would last the rest of their lives.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, I know it's kind of sappy. Ok, really sappy. DEAL WITH IT AMELIA NEEDS FRIENDS AND SHE'S A WELL ROUNDED PERSON. :P

Merp.

R&R


	8. Chapter 8

**Warning: Here there be magic! And studying! O.o**

* * *

_Moment 8:_

_Business Finished_

* * *

"Can you believe it, 'Lia?" Lily said as they strode into the Great Hall for dinner together. "Third year is almost over!"

"And exams are about to start, yes, I know." Amelia smiled at her friend, whose arms were, as usual, filled with books. "No need to worry, Lily. You always do great."

"Yeah, but, what if—"

"No need to worry, Lily," Amelia said again, steering Lily towards the Gryffindor table. "It's time for dinner, don't think about it until after."

"Oh, how could I possibly eat now!"

"Because if you don't get the proper amount of sustenance and sleep, you may just faint straight off in your exams, and then where would you be?"

"Oooohh, but the only seat left is near that stupid Potter!"

Amelia carefully considered this. She knew how Lily felt about Potter: disproportionally shy and annoyed. She had a sneaking suspicion that Lily liked him, but found him utterly annoying. Amelia couldn't blame her.

"Just sit, Lily," she said. "I have a feeling that whatever you put up with today will be worth it." Lily gave her a knowing look.

"What do you have planned?" she asked suspiciously. Amelia was a wonderful person, but sometimes her revenge tactics made Lily uncomfortable. Amelia waved her hand as if to clear away doubts.

"Nothing, nothing. I'll see you after dinner and we can go over those study guides for Runes, okay?" Lily nodded and Amelia set off for the Slytherin table. Dinner for Amelia was largely quiet. She had few friends in Slytherin house, and her efforts to make the Quidditch team more respectable, at the cost of a few games, keeping them out of the running for the Cup, was not being looked upon well. She finished quickly, then looked over the tables to see how Lily was doing. The girl had her whole face nose-down in a book, and it looked as if she had not eaten a thing on her plate. Amelia rolled her eyes and quickly grabbed a roll, slicing it in half and making a small sandwich, which she wrapped in a napkin and stuffed in her bag for later, when Lily was feeling the effects of her overzealous studying. She got up and headed over to the Gryffindor table, stopping off to say high to some people in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, agreeing to Quidditch help (Hufflepuff had ended up in the final tournament, and the captain, a personal friend, was freaking out) with the Hufflepuffs, and to meet the Ravenclaws later for studying in their common room (she particularly enjoyed figuring out the riddles at the door, though the heights sometimes gave her the creeps and she stayed away from all windows).

"Lily, I don't know why you worry so much, when you're the top of every class," she said when she finally made it to the Gryffindor table just as dessert. She nabbed a cookie from the pile as she watched the four boys, Sirius, Potter, Lupin, and Pettigrew, lunge for four identical cakes that appeared right in front of them. Didn't they think it was at all suspicious?

"I don't know why you _aren't_ worrying, 'Lia!" Lily replied.

"Oh, I am," Amelia said, munching on her cookie and grabbing some of Lily's books as the girl gathered them. "I'm just much better at hiding it than you are." Lily gave her an exasperated look. "What? It's true. Every night I study in the common room. Just because you aren't there to see it doesn't mean it's false. Plus, unlike you, I can only study so much before my brain explodes from—"

It was then that the four marauders' cakes decided to take offense their pig-like ways. The cakes exploded in the faces of all four at the same time, perfectly synchronized, attracting the attention of just about everyone in the Hall. Frosting was all over the stupefied Gryffindor's faces, and Pettigrew was stuttering, unable to comprehend this betrayal. Sirius and Potter were staring with their mouths open stupidly, but Remus, who had noticed Amelia before, had turned to them and was glaring.

"I blame you for this," he said.

"My-my cake…" Pettigrew continued.

Amelia bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Come on, Lily," she said, dragging the open-mouthed girl out of the Hall. "Let's not make it worse by staring."

"Amelia," Lily said warily. "Did you…?"

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Let's go to the library, shall we? I have to meet the Hufflepuff Captain later, he's freaking out, then I've got to study with the Ravenclaws. I only have so much time."

Lily just shook her head and led the way to the library.

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**A/N: **Sorry it's late! can we change update days to wednesday? Let's do that, okay? Okay, good. REad and REview!


	9. Chapter 9

__Warning: Srs Bsns

* * *

_Moment 9:  
Reality Encroaches_

* * *

The week before exams, many sins were forgiven. At least, that was what Amelia hoped, as she cast a glance over towards the Slytherin table. It wasn't officially mealtime; feasts were dispensed with in acknowledgement that nothing the administration could do to make their students eat at normal hours. Students were clustered throughout the Great Hall, in groups studying, perpetually. House lines were crossed, except by the Slytherins. Amelia caught the eye of Bellatrix and Regulus. Both of them were giving her looks that could kill, and she flinched away. Normally she would've glared right back, but lately she could feel fear encroaching further and further into her defiance.

Amelia pulled her gaze away, taking stock of her study group, made up of several Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and a few select Gryffindors. Amelia was the only Slytherin there. Ermintrude was watching her with large eyes. Ermintrude's eyes often gave her an air of surprise and wonderment, but Amelia knew her better. Trudie and her boyfriend, Xeno, often had that look about them, but Trudie was not as easily surprised as she looked. For instance, just now, Amelia had seen the seriousness in Trudie's gaze. The seriousness, and the knowing, and the gentle pledge of support and friends. Trudie knew exactly what was the cause of the intruding fear that was tempering the normally outgoing fear. The Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, You-Know-Who, was growing ever stronger, and the swaddling clothes of Hogwarts were fading away too quickly for comfort. Amelia's family had been personally victimized a number of times, and soon Amelia would no longer be safe. And she was incredibly nervous about it.

A hoot called her attention away from darker thoughts, and she smiled as her owl, Norbert, landed beside her and chirruped his greeting. Other owls were dropping packages and making similar landings across all the tables.

"Hey, Norry," she said quietly, fluffing his feathers and lightly scratching his scruff while the owl closed his eyes happily. She smiled and smoothed Norbert's two-toned feathers. "Whatcha got?" The tawny owl offered the letter between its beak and lifted its leg so that Amelia could untie the package attached to his leg. Once that was done, Amelia reached into her pouch and pulled out a piece of jerky and some owl treats. Norbert hooted happily, then took off for the Owlery. In the chaos of students swapping notes for a much-needed reprieve, Amelia slit the letter open and unfolded it. She smiled, seeing the easily recognizable handwriting of her friend, Donna, from home. Blissfully unaware of Amelia's witch status, and what was happening in the Wizarding World, Donna's letters never failed to brighten her day.

_Dear Amelia,_

_Hey! How's it going at school? I can't wait for you to come back so that we can catch up. Exams are coming up, are you ready? I don't know if I am, but I'm sure you are. Too smart for your own good, that's what I think. You know, your parents never tell me where you go to school? I only mention it because it's miserable here, all foggy and that in-between rain and cloudy state, like it's perpetually getting ready to rain. I hate it. Anyway, I'm sure you're somewhere sunny and nice; I hear it's nice every else, pretty much . . ._

Amelia skimmed through the rest of the letter quickly, before she read something that made her pause and bite her lip.

_Another weird thing happened, too. Our dog, Benny, disappeared, and then our cat! Now, I understand Benny, he was pretty old, and Mom says that sometimes dogs run away when they're ready to die, so I guess that's what happened to him. But our cat was only allowed indoors, and I don't think he ever wanted to go out; he was so scared, so I don't know how he got away. I don't know, it's just strange. And they disappeared in the same week! Weird._

Perhaps she was just being paranoid—but who wasn't, these days? It was certainly strange for both of Donna's pets to disappear within the same week, but that didn't mean that it wasn't just human accident that drove them away. Still, Amelia could not shake the feeling of uneasiness that washed over her. It only enforced what she already knew: the safe haven of Hogwarts was quickly fading away. Even as the days grew longer, warmer, and more enjoyable, the fear that dominated life outside of Hogwarts grew stronger, and she began to understand why her parents worried so. _Daily Prophet_ reports grew more ominously sparse, and rumors grew ominously less far-fetched. It chilled her to the bone when she thought of what it meant, a chill that made her seek the warm sunlight of the grounds outside more and more. She stood up, the Great Hall suddenly stifling, and the sunlight filtering through the ceiling no longer sufficient. The members of her study group stared at her.

"Air," she choked, grabbing her notes and books and shoving them in her bag. Most of her friends nodded and returned to their work, satisfied in her known restless spirit. A few looked worried, but soon nodded as they took in the letter in her hand, clearly not written on parchment like most wizard correspondence. Amelia took a glance around, nodding at those few, and turned to go, her heart in her throat and her bones chilled. She was halfway through the entrance hall when she heard Bellatrix behind her.

"Amelia," she heard the hateful purr. "Is something wrong? You left in a hurry. I think you forgot something."

Amelia turned to the black-haired girl. "What?"

Bellatrix smiled and held out her hand. "This," she said, dropping two collars, one large and well-worn, one small and thin. "I didn't know you had both a dog and a cat."

Amelia snatched the collars, seeing the tag on the larger one had "Benny" inscribed on it. She stared at them for a moment until it dawned on her.

"You killed them," she whispered. "How….why?"

"Oh, we didn't kill them, darling," Bellatrix hissed, swirling around the stricken girl. "You did."

Amelia thought her heart was going to beat its way out of her chest, or her throat, or that she would keel over from the way her stomach was knotted up. She clutched at the collars feebly.

"Weren't you headed outside, dear?" Bellatrix said helpfully. Amelia nodded and shuffled towards the door, letting herself out into the warm, sunny summer air. She stood there a minute, and like a snake that was Slytherin's mascot, let the sunlight warm her sluggish blood. It was only then that she remembered to be the angry, hot-blooded creature she normally was, and with a cry both of pain, fear, and outrage, she threw the collars into the sunlight, then sought a place to lay and enjoy the rest of the day without reality encroaching.

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**A/N:** Ok, now we're catching up to notes that I've already written (working on #10 right now), so it's back to actually posting sort of on time maybe. (When I write as I go, I tend to actually finish and update cause I remember.) Anyway, Read and Review.


	10. Chapter 10

__**Warning: MMMMMMmmmmm...Sirius Black...**

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_Moment 10:_

_A Plea for Help_

* * *

It was one of those days that occurred during the end of the school year and the advance of summer, where the warmth and blue light of the sky makes it impossible to pay attention, and even teachers are easily pursued into letting classes be held outside. With all the things going on with classes and school ending, finals impending, and reality encroaching, Amelia was not inclined to pay attention in any class, and she didn't particularly feel she needed to. This was finals-time, review-time, the time that those students who had worked and paid attention and _learned_ during the rest of the year had nothing to worry about, and only a minimal of things to do. Amelia, despite her appearances, was one of those students, and therefore had decided the robin's egg of the sky and the sun were calling to her, and skipping classes was not only something she could do, but something she _must_ do.

So now she was in the tall grasses of the hill overlooking the lake and Hagrid's home, her robe spread out under her, her socks, shoes, and sweater beside her, and her bag of books left behind, forgotten, in her room. All that mattered to her right now were the sun, the sky, and the smell of the grasses. It was exactly what she imagined heaven to be like. The sounds of birds and winds and the giant squid relaxing at the surface of the lake made her smile, and she didn't bother to try to find her headphones, a good thing since they were back in her dorm with the rest of her things. The sun was warm on her eyelids and arms, and she was almost to the point of sleep when a shadow fell across her. Then a body.

"Hey!" She sat straight up, indignantly pulling off her headphones and preparing her most Unforgivable Curse-like glare. It was a guy who was now sprawled across her, severely hindering her ability to—"I can't breathe, you arse!" She gave him a vicious shove as he struggled to get up, sending him sprawling all over again, this time thankfully not on her.

"Uhf!" he snorted as he fell. "Jesus, be careful, would you?"

"Ex-cuse me?" Amelia drew herself up indignantly. "May I remind you that _you _fell on top of _me_?"

"I fell on you," he said, getting onto his knees and brushing himself off, "because you were in the middle of a field when everyone else is in class!" Amelia scowled, finally seeing exactly who it was who fell on her.

"And why aren't you in class, Black?" she growled.

"I—" he stopped, snapping his mouth shut and staring at her with wide eyes. She glared.

"What? Is there something on my shirt?"

"Uh—well, uh—"

"Jesus, Black, get your head out of your arse and use words," she sighed, exasperated, getting up and brushing herself off.

"Your—your shirt."

Amelia cast a glance down, seeing nothing marring her white shirt.

"Yes?" His mouth gaped open and closed like a fish. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Why are you out here, anyway? Just to stare at me like what little brains you had dripped out of your ears?"

He shook his head. "Uh. No. I came out here to..." he cast a glance behind him, towards the area of the grounds Amelia knew held the Whomping Willow. His gaze returned to her. "To find you!"

She raised an eyebrow. "You did?"

"Yeah. To ask you, um…..to ask you…for help."

"Help?"

"Yeah. On History of Magic. We have the test, and I'm not doing well, and Binns recommended you for a tutor."

Her skepticism grew. "Not Lily?"

"Um…." He paused again. "He did, but I didn't want to ask her. Cause she's got so much going on and she gets worked up, and stuff."

Amelia pursed her lips; everything he said was true, but she couldn't quell the suspicion she felt. After moment, she gave in. She knew Sirius needed help, though he wouldn't admit it; Binns had approached her several times asking her to try and help him, as he was almost the bottom of the class. "Fine," she said finally. "We'll work on it tonight. Library at six."

"But that's dinnertime!"

"Exactly, it'll be entirely empty."

"But—"

"Tonight. Six."

Amelia gathered her things and set off across the field, still barefoot.

* * *

**A/N:** So...I tried to make it obvious where Sirius was staring (no, it was not her chest) but if you didn't get it, it will be in next week's post.

I think I have a serious young Sirius crush. Not so much greasy, stick-like, older Sirius of the books. But mmm...the Sirius of my head and this era is good looking. Majorly good looking.

REad and review, as always.

Best wishes to all.


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning: Ummmm...I forget.. ;)**

* * *

_Moment 11:_

_Distracted_

* * *

Sirius arrived to the meeting place, the forest just beside the Whomping Willow, late because of the distraction he encountered along the way.

_Why the hell was she in the middle of the field?_ He had never found out why she was there, so distracted was he.

_Her shirt was so…._ He licked his lips, thinking back to the white, semi-starched fabric unbuttoned over a flat, tan stomach. _How does she keep her skin so dark?_ Every other girl at school was pale as a bone throughout the year, but Amelia had kept her tanned skin. It fascinated him.

"Sirius! What's up with you?" Sirius pulled his attention back to the present.

"What?"

"We were wishing Moony luck. And telling about that…thing," James said, raising his eyebrows emphatically.

"Oh. Right." Sirius turned with the others to face Lupin. "Remus, we found a way."

"A way?" Remus said, confusion on his face.

"They're called Animagus." James said. "Forms that we can use to help you when you need us."

"Are you kidding?" Remus said. "That's illegal!"

"What do you mean?" Peter said, his face crumpling.

"You can't do that alone! It's highly advanced magic! And illegal to have an unregistered Animagus form!"

James frowned. "We can do it, Remus." The skepticism remained on Lupin's face.

"Look man," Sirius said, placing his hand on Remus' shoulder. "We won't do it if you think it's that dangerous. Put it out of your mind."

Remus cast a glance around the group, landing on Sirius last. He nodded at Sirius alone, trusting in his judgment.

"I'll see you guys…later," Remus said, turning to go. They bid him goodbye with quiet, solemn voices, a change for the usually rambunctious group. As Remus disappeared into the sunlight, headed for the path to the Screaming Shack, James turned to him.

"What the hell, man? Why'd you tell him that?"

"You really want him worrying about us tonight? Or the time after that? You really think that's good for him?"

Peter looked down at his hands, sheepish. James remained obstinate for a minute, then sighed. "No. You're right." Sirius nodded, then turned to go.

"Hey, man!" James called, catching up with him. "Where were you? You were so late we got worried! Thought maybe one of the Professors caught you."

"No I was—" Sirius gulped, the memory of Amelia's tan skin out in the sun forefront in his mind. The flat stomach, the toned legs. _Probably from Quidditch_, he thought. Her neck. Her arms. Her feet. _Her feet? What the hell is wrong with me that I think her _feet_ are cute?_ But they were, all graceful curves and long lines. He wondered what those toes would look like curled. Then he gulped again. "—distracted."

"Oh, well." James shrugged. They heard the bell of the clock tower start its toll. Was it really that late?

"Yes! Dinner!" squeaked Peter. Sirius gulped again, pausing for a moment.

"You coming, Sirius?" called James, not looking back as he and Peter hurried for the entrance to the Great Hall. In Peter's case, it was more like scurried.

"Uh—no."

"WHAT?" This stopped the pair, as they turned and stared at their friend.

"You're not coming to—dinner?" Peter squeaked.

"No, I gotta go to—" he grimaced—"the library." His friends stared at him in horror. "Binns. Told me I needed a tutor for the test. We're meeting in the library now." He grimaced again. "Sorry."

* * *

**A/N: **Yup, well. So there you are. We're coming to the end(ish) of moments. There are several more moments, don't worry, but...we're nearing the end of third year, so soon we shall end our little foray into the beginnings! And start the beginnings of something...bigger. But it will take me awhile to formulate a plan, so I won't say the next saga will start as soon as this ends. As Always, Read and Review! Love for you, lovelies.

* * *

**An**


	12. Chapter 12

**Warning: Yes, there is actually (relatively) strong language...I was getting worried there for a minute that there weren't any swears. Weird.**

* * *

_Moment 12:_

_Justifiably Reamed (Maybe)_

* * *

Amelia shut the book and leaned back, closing her eyes and breathing slowly through her nose.

"Again," she said slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose to try and get rid of her headache.

"The history of witch-hunting began as early as the 18th century BC, but became a fad in the 14th century. Most of the time it was completely innocent people who were prosecuted, since real witches and wizards knew enough to keep themselves hidden from crazy Muggles. This meant that witch-hunts were completely pointless to the hunters. However, fear spread among the Wizarding population, and this led to the enactment of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, meant to keep Muggles from knowing anything about the Wizarding population. This lead to problems with Mud—wizard children of Muggles, who were either unaware of their true potential, or who had to be taken away from their families. Extenuating circumstances were added to the ISWS in 1692, when the act was officially established."

Amelia sighed, ready to admonish, then her eyes snapped open as a realization hit her. "That was right," she said. "You got it right, Blenheim!"

"Wait, I did?" the fiery redhead (of distant relation to the Weasley family) said, the surprise on his face echoing hers.

"Yes! You did great!" Blenheim blinked, as if he still couldn't quite comprehend what he was saying. "You're ready to take the test, I think."

"Are-are you sure?"

"Mmhm. But if you're still not confident, go over Chapters 14 and 15 again, and we'll meet again before the test for a group study session. Also, go over and make notes on this study guide." Amelia passed the pieces of parchment over the table and gathered up her books.

"O-okay." The boy started nervously gathering up his things. Amelia sighed and stopped what she was doing.

"Blenheim," she said, waiting till he stopped to look at her. "How long have you been studying?"

"Months," he said, quietly.

"Right. And you've been doing much better. You're ready, trust me. But if you don't believe you are, you won't do half as well as you should, so you have to be confident. Okay?" Blenheim nodded reluctantly. "Okay." She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder. "I'll see you next Thursday," she called as she turned to go, headed toward the Great Hall, then the Slytherin Common room.

"So we have a study session next Thursday?" Sirius said as he swung out beside her. "How come you never told me?"

Amelia gave him a glance, then turned away and continued walking, nose in the air. "Because the study session Thursday is for people to review and finish preparing for the test. It's not for people who still haven't learned the material."

"I've totally learned the material!" Sirius said indignantly. Amelia stopped to glare.

"Ok, maybe I haven't totally been good at showing that on a test, but I've learned it!"

She let out a long-suffering sigh. "What do you want, Sirius?"

"Want? Do I need to want something to talk to you about our studying?"

She sighed again. "Fine. Then study the material, complete the practice quizzes I gave you, and _leave me alone._" With that, she was off once more.

Sirius stood, struck for a minute. "What the _bloody hell_ is wrong with you? What is your problem with me?"

Amelia stopped, standing with her head done, her shoulders tensed.

"You always do this! You act as if I'm the most horrible person in the world, but I don't know why! What did I ever do to you? Merlin, I remember the first time that I ever talked to you, _you _were yelling at _me!_ What exactly is your problem with me?"

She whipped around, hellhound on the loose. "Nothing, Sirius, absolutely _nothing_, just like always. You never do anything, just goof off like there's nothing wrong! Look _around!_ There's a war on outside these grounds, and just because there's walls around us doesn't mean it isn't true! You, though, you just walk around like nothing, a little rich boy, oh so tortured because his parents are dipshits! Would you even miss them if they were gone? If in one day all your family and friends disappeared, because I know I would! So don't yell at me 'cause your little _feelings_ are _hurt_. You _don't _know what's going in my life. I sacrificed _my _time to help you study for your tests, and you don't give enough of a shit to care. So if you want me to give you the time of day, you'd better start to _care_."

With that, she was off, down the hallway, to either the Great Hall or her Common Room, Sirius wasn't sure which. He also wasn't entirely sure what had just happened. He knew he had gotten a reaming, he knew people were staring at him, and he knew felt guilty, but beyond that he wasn't sure, although he had the distinct impression that he had deserved the metaphorical whipping he had just received. And that Amelia's eyes had just been a little bit shinier with something like unshed tears when she had walked away.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry, but I'm disproportionally proud of myself for finishing this update, with everything that's going on. (Midterms, tech week, yada yada. If you don't know what tech week is, look it up!) And, I even put up a cute little pic for valentine's day on my deviantart last week, and made another one (which has not been uploaded yet), so HA! I will not let hell week defeat me!

Just go to profile page for the link to deviantart.

As always, Read and Review, and thanks to everyone who has added this story to their watch or favorites list! And even added me to their watch and favorites list! (It makes me happy!)


	13. Chapter 13

**Warning: There's swearing. And Kissing. and an ending...merp**

* * *

_Moment 13:_

_Delusions, Revisited_

* * *

Amelia sat in the carriage, worrying her lip between her teeth. Lily, Xeno, Trudie, Ted, Alicia, and Frank had all distributed themselves to various other places; Ted, Alicia, and Frank had all sought another, less crowded carrel, and Lily, Xeno, and Trudie had gone to find something to snack on. Without anyone in the car with her, though, Amelia could not keep her mind off what was going to happen next. She couldn't stop thinking about what she was returning to, how the world had changed in a few short months.

At the end of last summer, wizards and witches weren't afraid to speak. They weren't afraid to be seen, weren't as afraid to express their thoughts. Her family had not been so subdued, had not had fear because of who they were.

But everything had changed. She would be going back to a world where wizards lived in fear of any and all contact with Muggles. Where everyone was too afraid to fight, to stand up for himself or herself. Where even she was afraid, a feeling that at the beginning of the summer had been largely foreign to her, to even talk to her old friends, or check if her family members where still alive when they disappeared off the map. It brought tears of sorrow into her eyes, another thing largely foreign to her.

It was as she was contemplating this that she heard a knock on the door to the carriage. No one she was friends with ever bothered to knock, so she was incredibly startled. Quickly, she blinked away unshed tears.

"Come in," she said quietly, not looking away from the window. She was not in the mood at this exact moment to deal with most people, and she needed the extra few seconds to restore her usually effervescent (and sometimes other things) personality.

When she turned to see who had come to see her, though, the effervescence went out the window.

"What do you want?" she said a little acidly.

"Why do you always―never mind," Sirius said as he settled into the seat across from her. "I wanted―I wanted to apologize. For before. You helped me when I didn't give a shit, and because of you I passed!"

"That's great, Sirius. I'm glad you did well."

He blushed. "'Well' is a relative term."

Amelia couldn't stop herself; she burst out laughing. "As it is for most people."

They couldn't stop themselves, both of them fell into giggle fits.

"And I should apologize to you, Sirius," she said, placing her hand on his knee and wiping tears of laughter out of her eyes. "I shouldn't have snapped at you the other day."

His hand covered hers. "It's fine." He was caught by her eyes, green like the sea or bottle glass. He couldn't stop himself.

He leaned forward and caught her lips. She stiffened, surprised, he knew, by the kiss. But then she softened, and he smiled as their lips met in soft touches. Her hand was cupped on his chin, and he took it gently in his and broke them apart, finding a grin mirroring his own on her face. They stayed a few moments like that, then Amelia got up, flashing a grin behind her as she made to leave the carriage.

"I'll see you next year, Black," she said over her shoulder, keeping his hand in hers as long as possible, then walking out the door.

He waited a moment to let that sink in. Then he was up, and out the door as well.

"Bangcroft!" he called to her retreating figure. She turned as he approached her. "Who says we have to wait till next year?" His mischievous grin mirrored hers.

"You think you can handle me?"

"I look forward to it." They leaned in and kissed, to gasps and giggles.

"Sirius." The sound of Bellatrix's voice broke their protective bubble, and Amelia couldn't help her glance around; the faces surrounding her were a mix of jealousy, fear, and girlish romance. Those that were firmly in this realm were those who were fearful; they knew the implications of getting together with a Black. Those either trying to fight off fear or just too stupid to feel it were jealous or girlish. But Bellatrix seethed with anger.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, arms crossed. Her goons were behind her.

"Kissing a girl, Bellatrix. What does it look like?" Sirius said, rolling his eyes. Amelia bit her lip at the slightly bored expression on his face. It made her worry.

"It looks like you're embarrassing our family, that's what it looks like!"

"Well, you're definition of embarrassment and mine are slightly different, don't you think? Come to think of it, you're definition of family and mine are slightly different as well."

"Clearly, if you think _that_—" she curled her lip at Amelia—"is a better option."

"His more important worry should be whether I accept his unfortunate accident of birth," Amelia said.

"What do you mean by that?" Bellatrix sneered.

Amelia smiled sweetly, draping Sirius' arm over her shoulder and wrapping her own around his waist. "Why, I mean being a blood relative to you, of course."

With that, the new pair turned and walked away, back to their carriage, to wait out the rest of the ride and to make their plans for the summer.

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah. I'm alternatively sorry for this moment, as well as really proud of it. I'm not too happy with the ending (I knew I wanted Bellatrix to, well, spoil the moment) but I wasn't really sure of the reaction I wanted to go with it. But I like what I went with, so there.

Also, yes, this is the final moment for this (pre)story. I'm working on the next/main part now, but it will take me awhile to get it together, since, as always, I thought of my ending first, and I'm not sure where to start. So yup.

If you have any suggestions of moments you want to see once the main story is started, I would love to keep writing little snippets of them into this part.

So always Read and Review and OMG I forgot.

Thanks to everyone who has subscribed or added this story to their favorites, which I'm always so honored at. Also if you added me to your author watch or favorites, which I'm even more honored at. I just...omg.

And thanks if you've ever commented. Or even looked at this story (I think last time I updated I had a count of 57 visitors and just...omg, the happiness.).

OK. I'm done. Bye! :)


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